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One toilet, one ventilator, no doctors: Surprise Lokayukta raid exposes crisis at Bengaluru's KC General hospital
The investigation, initiated after public complaints, found that hospital staff had also been allegedly soliciting bribes for patient admission.
Karnataka Lokayukta conducted a surprise inspection at KC General Hospital in Bengaluru's Malleswaram area on Friday, following multiple complaints about corruption and mismanagement.
According to The New Indian Express report, the inspection revealed several alarming issues plaguing one of Bengaluru’s key government hospitals, raising serious concerns about patient care and hospital operations.
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Bribes, staff Shortages, and hygiene issues exposed
The investigation, initiated after public complaints, found that hospital staff had allegedly been soliciting bribes for patient admission. In one instance, a pregnant woman was reportedly denied immediate admission late at night and was asked for a bribe, TNIE report added.
Doctors’ attendance was another major concern. By 10am, only one of the five scheduled doctors had arrived for duty, despite the shift starting at 9am. Patients also complained that doctors regularly prescribed medicines to be purchased from external pharmacies, even though the hospital had these medicines in stock.
The inspection also revealed severe staff shortages, with only three patients admitted to the hospital’s 10 special rooms. The pharmacy was operating irregularly, with medicines listed as unavailable found in stock and expired medications left undisposed of.
Hygiene and infrastrucure were found to be in a deplorable condition. The paediatric intensive care unit had only one functioning ventilator, while critical equipment like the ECG machine in the maternity ward and Doppler devices were non-operational. The hospital also struggled with basic amenities, with just one toilet available for up to 1,750 patients and inadequate drinking water facilities.
Additionally, the Lokayukta noticed that the hospital did not display the mandatory nameplate for the Lokayukta helpline, a requirement for government offices.
In light of these findings, Justice Patil has ordered a detailed investigation by a team of judicial and police officials, who will prepare a comprehensive report. Justice Patil assured the public that all complaints would be thoroughly examined and appropriate steps would be taken to address the hospital’s shortcomings and hold those responsible accountable, the report further added.
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